Did you hear the one about a workaholic, his frustrated wife, an accident-prone tour guide, and a fabulously gay furniture designer who walk into a medical condition? There’s no punchline, but there are songs and dances about them in The Jerusalem Syndrome, a sweet new musical currently gracing the stage of the York Theater.
Laurence Holzman collaborated with the late Felicia Needleman (who sadly lost a battle to cancer) to write the book and lyrics, while Kyle Rosen penned the music. It took several years for this tuner to arrive in its current form, but it was well worth the wait. Given the current global political climate, The Jerusalem Syndrome is a much-needed beam of happiness.
At first, it sounds like an imaginary condition, concocted only to serve as a running joke, but it is, in fact, an actual medical syndrome. It affects individuals from varied religions who visit the Holy City. They are so moved by the experience that they find themselves believing that they are actual characters from the bible.
Rosen’s score is a pleasing blend of patter songs, ballads, and old-fashioned razzle-dazzle, all infused with splashes of klezmer-spiked music.
Director Don Stephenson guides this marvelously talented cast and keeps the lunacy at just the right level. It’s especially welcoming to see such a diverse cast of varied ethnicities and ages.
James Morgan’s effective optically illusive set lends a pitch-perfect metaphor to the characters who inhabit it.
To some, a lighthearted musical on the topic might seem like sacrilege but stick with it. There’s a great deal of sincerity and heart here. At its core lies a message of hope and kindness. In our age of cynicism, apathy, and distrust of one another, it’s a message we all need to hear and heed.
The Jerusalem Syndrome runs through December 31, 2023 at Theatre at St. Jean’s (176. E. 76th Street) NYC